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String of Coins Plant: Top 5 Tips for Its Care & Propagation

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This article is for you if you own the string of coins plant (Xerosicyos danguyi) and want to learn more about its care and propagation. Stick with us as we tell you everything you need to know about the string of coins plant and share the top 5 tips on how to take care of this plant.

String of Coins Plant
String of Coins Plant via Reddit

Characteristics of The Strings of Coins Plant

Alright, let’s get started. The string of coins plant “Xerosicyos danguyi,” also commonly known as the “Silver Dollar Plant” or the “Penny Plant,” is a bright green, succulent with coin-shaped leaves (hence the name), known to serve as the perfect spiller plant for any arrangement as it beautifully cascades over the sides of planters. The string of coins plant is a succulent of the Cucurbitaceae family.

The plant is native to the Southeastern region of Madagascar, where it mainly grows by hanging from cliff sides or ravines. Its bright green, symmetrical leaves give the plant its beautiful morphology and make it an instant attraction for anyone who sets their eye on it.

This plant species has distinguishably thick roots (caudex) from which its long, tube-like stems protrude. The stems of this plant are equipped with climbing structures called “tendrils,” which allow the plant to latch onto structures near it and climb up solid structures with ease. The leaves of the string of coins plant are its main source of attraction.

They are bright green orbicular structures that are arranged opposite the plant’s tendrils. These fleshy, coin-like structures have a flat upper side and a curved underside with small petioles. The younger leaves of the plant are not as fleshy (they gain their fleshiness as they age).

String of Coins
String of Coins? via Reddit

How to care for the string of coins plant 

Anyone who has ever tried propagating/ taking care of plants knows that plants require very specific nurturing conditions to grow properly. Each plant has different nutritional/ environmental needs that must be met in order for it to thrive.

This is especially true for plants grown in artificial environments like homes and nurseries. A failure to meet these needs either results in the plant not growing at all or in the plant’s growth being completely stunned. 

Now that we know a fair deal about the string of coins plant, it is time to discuss (as promised) the best ways to take care of this plant and ensure its proper growth inside your home.

Thankfully, the string of coins is pretty low maintenance – the plant is very easy to grow in one’s everyday garden, which is why it is so commonly used for hanging in outdoor pots. Still, here are some tips on how to properly care for this plant:

Expose the plant to sufficient lighting

The string of coins plant needs a lot of exposure to light for it to grow properly. We recommend that you ensure that the plant receives direct exposure to sunlight in the morning and towards the late afternoon.

If the plant does not receive sunlight, it will slowly wither and die. So, make sure you plant it in a place where it will receive direct exposure to the sun. The string of coins plant doesn’t grow in extremely shady places.

Provide the plant with optimal heat

Making sure that the string of coins is planted somewhere where it has direct exposure to the sun is not just important so the plant can receive an ample amount of sunlight; it is also important so that the plant receives the optimal level of heat it requires from its surroundings to grow properly.

The string of coins best grows at temperatures between 15 – 35°C, so make sure you plant it somewhere where it is exposed to such levels of heat. Do note that this plant is absolutely incapable of tolerating temperatures below 5°C.

Plant it in well-draining soils

The Xerosicyos danguyi needs very easily drainable soils to grow properly. The plant cannot survive prolonged exposure to stagnated water because it rots pretty easily. The plant’s growth is optimal in substrates for succulents with the additional layer of gravel.

Water the plant Sparingly

As with any other plant, it is extremely important to be mindful of how much you water the string of coins plant. Too much or too little water will result in this plant’s poor growth (or even death).

For Xerosicyos danguyi, we recommend that you water these plants twice a week. Make sure you don’t over-water them, though the string of coins plant is (as we mentioned before) extremely susceptible to rot in the presence of excess water/ moisture.

Look out for pests

It is uncommon for this plant to undergo pest attacks frequently, but scale insects do appear on it sometimes. For safe measures, we recommend you examine your plant for pests from time to time. 

Propagating Xerosicyos danguyi

If you want to get your hands on this plant and start growing it in your garden right away, we have some good news for you. Propagating Xerosicyos danguyi is actually pretty easy.

All you need to do is cut a 10cm or longer part of an already-existing Xerosicyos danguyi plant from the seed and plant it in a location where it receives the environmental conditions we outlined above.

The seed needs to be included in the cutting because the formation of the caudex is only possible in the presence of the seed.

Once you’ve planted your cut-out in the right location, continue to provide it with the conditions we described above, and you will have grown your string of coins plant in no time.


Wrapping it all up 

Overall, Xerosicyos danguyi is a must-have for anyone looking to upgrade their house’s aesthetics. Their stunning, bright green orbicular leaves, which beautifully cascade over planters, are what sets them apart from all other plants and makes them an excellent addition to front yards.

This plant is also extremely easy to propagate and care for, which means that anyone can grow it inside their house at any time with absolutely no trouble at all.

Deborah

Wednesday 22nd of March 2023

Just letting you know that the second photo you took from Redddit is not a Xerosicyos danguyi.

Hoang Quang

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

Hi,

Thank for your comment. I've changed it.